The present invention relates generally to ammunition feed assemblies. More particularly, this invention pertains to an ammunition feed assembly for a military weapon system.
Ammunition feed assemblies for military weapon systems are known in the art. For example, the Avenger weapon system, which is a United States military weapon system, includes a 0.50 caliber machine gun and an ammunition feed assembly for supplying ammunition to the gun (see FIG. 1). The Avenger ammunition feed assembly includes a guide connected to the weapon system adjacent to the machine gun for guiding ammunition into the machine gun and a flexible feed chute connected between the guide and an ammunition box mounted on the side of the weapon system for guiding ammunition from the ammunition box to the guide. Similar ammunition feed assemblies are also used with other military weapon systems as well.
The Avenger ammunition feed assembly shown in FIG. 1, however, frequently jams when ammunition is being fed from the ammunition box to the 0.50 caliber machine gun. To unjam the weapon, a soldier must exit the vehicle and physically remove the jam, which takes time and exposes the soldier to the danger of a potentially serious injury or death when the jam occurs during actual combat.
What is needed, then, is an ammunition feed assembly that does not jam or, alternatively, at least jams less frequently than existing prior art ammunition feed assemblies used with the Avenger or other similar military weapon systems.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an ammunition feed assembly that does not jam or, alternatively, at least jams less frequently than the current ammunition feed assemblies used with the Avenger and other similar military weapon systems.
Another object is to provide an ammunition feed assembly that can be retrofitted onto existing military weapon systems.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of replacing an existing ammunition feed assembly on a weapon system with the ammunition feed assembly of the present invention.
These and other objects, which will become apparent to a person practicing the present invention, are satisfied by an ammunition feed assembly for a military weapon system having a weapon that includes an ammunition feed chute and an ammunition support bracket. The ammunition feed chute includes a connection mechanism on one end for connecting the feed chute to the weapon system and a flanged opening on the other end for guiding ammunition into the chute. The ammunition support bracket includes a mounting portion for connecting the ammunition support bracket to the weapon system and a support portion for supporting an ammunition box adjacent to the feed chute. Ammunition is fed out of the ammunition box, through the feed chute and guide, and into the weapon.
In one embodiment, adapted for use with an Avenger weapon system, the ammunition feed chute is a rectangular-shaped hollow structure with a flanged opening on one end. The other end of the feed chute includes a pair of openings for removably connecting the feed chute to the existing guide of the Avenger weapon system using quick release pins. The mounting portion of the ammunition support bracket includes a flat rectangular structure with a pair of arms on both ends. The arms include mounting openings, which are used to connect the mounting portion to an existing brass catcher on the Avenger weapon system so that the support portion is adjacent to the feed chute. The support portion includes an open front end formed by a flat base connected to two side walls, which are all, in turn, connected to a back wall. The back wall is used to prevent an ammunition box inserted into the support portion through the open front end from sliding out of the back of the support portion. The side walls include a series of mounting openings along a top portion of each side wall and are connected to the rectangular flat structure of the mounting portion using the side wall mounting openings. The portions of the side walls that form the open front end include a pair of openings for receiving a quick release pin, which is used to prevent an ammunition box inserted into the support portion from sliding out of the support portion.
This embodiment of the present invention is connected to an Avenger weapon system by removing the existing ammunition feed assembly and connecting the feed assembly of the present invention to the weapon system. The existing ammunition feed assembly is removed by disconnecting the flexible feed chute from the existing guide and ammunition box on the weapon system and disconnecting the brass catcher from the weapon system. The feed assembly of the present invention is installed by connecting the feed chute to the guide using quick release pins and connecting the combination of the ammunition support bracket and the brass catcher to the weapon system.